IRAQ FORCES, SHIITE MILITIA, KURD FIGHTERS LAUNCHED OPERATION to break over 2-month ISIS siege of Amerli. Shiite residents face possible massacre ... Pentagon: Iraq missions costing $7.5M/d. Well within spending limits ...Fracking expansion approved in California ... Pennsylvania revealed fracking has contaminated drinking water hundreds of times ... US southwest could soon experience decades-long megadroughts ... Researchers surprised by ozone levels in N Colorado mountains ... Chile poised to pass S America's 1st carbon tax ... $1B desalination plant being built in San Diego County. 2 gal of sea water makes 1 gal fresh ... Renters can now install EV charge stations in California ... Earth's tectonic plates have doubled their speed in last 2B years: research. Previous study seemed to show opposite result - plates slowing for 1.2B years ... SE Louisiana losing football field of land every hour. Lawsuits filed blaming oil/gas comps ... Calif lawmakers passed 1st US plastic bag ban ... Mexico's move to end state monopoly of oil/gas will result in ~75% increase in oil production by '40: EIA ... So far no deal between Gazprom, EU over natgas, Ukraine dispute ... Ukraine has 15.2BCM NG in storage. Needs ~5B more to make it through winter ... EU planning more sanctions on Russia over Ukraine ... Chevron's Gorgon LNG export project in Australia cost ballooned from $37B to $54B. Construction 83% done. 65% of projected capacity contracted. Wanted 85% by now. Asia LNG prices now ~$11.35, down 40% from highs after Fukushima ... World LNG capacity to expand 35% by '18 ... Global oil/gas development spending est. $620-630B this year. 1/4 from US comps. Tight oil (US) $72B